I revisited George Cosmatos' Massacre in Rome (1973) a number of times during the years and with each viewing my admiration for the story and to a larger extent the acting which the great Richard Burton, Marcello Mastroianni, Leo McKern, and John Steiner among others provided became more and more questionable. More than thirty years now George Cosmatos' take on the Nazi occupation of Rome seems rather unpersuasive as neither the acting nor the script allow this otherwise very ambitious project to be referred as "classic".

Massacre in Rome follows the Nazi occupation of Rome at a time when the fascists are getting ready to stage a huge parade through the streets of the Italian capital. At the same time a group of partisans is planning an attack on an SS brigade which is heading to a local Nazi commanding post. A huge explosive is detonated and the partisans manage to accomplish their mission leaving behind a large number of dead German soldiers. Furious and determined to avenge the death of the SS soldiers the local Nazi generals demand that for each German soldier ten Italians are to be executed.

Regardless of the fact that Massacre in Rome offers an ambitious plot, superb cast, and a director with an enormous cinematic vision this more than thirty years old film has not aged well. I was eager to revisit it in its original aspect ratio (for years I relied on a dusty Pan-Scan VHS tape) and while the digitally restored print looks and sounds great I think that nowadays Massacre in Rome has more of a sentimental value for me than anything else.

One of the major disappointments with George Cosmatos' project is without a doubt the manner in which the dialogs are scripted. The predominant amount of spoken lines is dry, clichéd, and to be honest quite unconvincing. There are moments in Massacre in Rome when one feels as if one is forced to watch a poor stage play where the actors are left to improvise with little to no imagination. The result as you might guess is a film where neither the story nor the acting hold well!!

It is fare to say that if you are looking to experience a rich, intelligently-assembled, and inspiring war drama chances are you will be gravely disappointed with this production. While the big names-Mastroianni, Burton, Steiner-most certainly impress the acting does not. Furthermore, meticulous character development, an element which often separates European cinema from Hollywood productions, is practically non-existent in Massacre in Rome. Even the masterful soundtrack by the great Ennio Morricone is left alone in a sea of scattered scenes creating a sense of chaos. Indeed, nowadays I can hardly justify my admiration for this film…as I am left somewhat disappointed by the disturbing mark time has left on this star-ridden feature.

I think that we are all guilty of unintentionally and at times intentionally comparing classic films to other genre pictures that have impressed us with their quality. I certainly am! I remember how much the scene where the partisans detonated the explosive impressed me years ago. It looked monumental to me, almost indescribable in simple words. Nowadays it all feels a bit too static, perhaps even a bit amateurish. I attempted to convince myself that instead I should be looking at the rest of the film and rediscover my passion for it through the acting of the always convincing Marcello Mastroianni, the enigmatic Richard Burton…but all that I experienced was an even bigger disappointment. I have to admit that certain films are better left buried in your childish memories where they looked spectacular, sounded impressive. I know Massacre in Rome looked better twenty years ago!!!

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's No Shame deliver a print of Massacre in Rome which placed next to the old VHS tape I had seems spectacular. In reality however this DVD is slightly below the average mark set by the remarkable prints No Shame has delivered on the US market. By large the contrast level is quite impressive and colors seem generally true but the bi problem here is the actual print. Occasionally you would notice a spec here and there and a dirty spot repapering throughout the film which leads me to believe that perhaps the old print was not in such a great condition to begin with. Regardless as I mentioned above seeing what the film looked and what we are offered with this release should make us very, very appreciative.

How Does the DVD Sound?

If there is an aspect of No Shame's I always admire is the fact that they go the extra mile each and every time to provide the original language tracks and where possible the official dubs. In this case we are offered the original English track and the Italia dub both presented in a Dolby Digital Mono. I have absolutely no reservations as far as the audio presentation goes as all seemed to be in great condition. Well done!

Extras:

The extras for Massacre in Rome appear to have been spread over the two discs which No Shame have provided for this release.

Disc 1:

Introduction by the director of photography Marcello Gatti- a very short introduction which basically highlights the story of Massacre in Rome.

Original Italian Theatrical Trailer-

Original English Theatrical Trailer-

Poster and Still Gallery-

Disc 2:

Interview with director George Cosmatos (6min).- A short interview in which the director of Massacre in Rome recalls the time when he had to shoot in Rome and the way the city looked after he came back.

Lensing a Massacre- an interesting interview with the director of cinematography Marcello Gatti which goes into great detail investigating the shooting of the film and the history behind it.

Amarcord Marcello- (13min) another short interview this time around with Marcello Mastroianni which focuses more and the actors' personality than the film. The True Story behind the Massacre- Interview with real-life partisan Mario Fiorentini- While not specifically investigating the nature of the film and the historic facts behind it this interview focuses on the partisan movement in Italy. A fascinating piece of extra especially for those of you interested in Italian history.

Fight for Freedom- Interview with real-life partisan Rosario Bontivegna- similar to the previous interview discussed above here's another piece of extra material focusing on the partisan movement in Italy.

The Facts, the Lies, the Victims- Interview with historian Sandro Portelli- I really liked this interview. While not directly related to the film Mr. Portelli provides plenty of information regarding the bloodbath that took place in Rome. There is also plenty that contradicts and confirms what the film partially investigates.

Final Thoughts:

Despite of its star-ridden cast and an ambitious director Massacre in Rome is a film that certainly has not aged well. After all these years I find the acting, dialogs, and even camera work quite unimpressive. Nevertheless the cast is great enough to warrant a RENT IT mark.